Chargeback Rebuttal Letters to Get Your Money Back: Samples Included

chargeback rebuttal letter

As a business owner, it’s easy to count a chargeback as a loss and move on with your business. But how many chargebacks can your business handle before it affects your bottom line? According to research, merchants lose $2.40 for every $1 a fraudster takes. 

The chargeback rebuttal process is called a representment, and if you notice a chargeback as illegitimate, you can dispute the chargeback and protect your company. 

While you may not win every chargeback rebuttal, as some are based on legitimate reasons, you should endeavor to dispute every illegitimate chargeback. 

Another reason you should dispute a chargeback is that frequent chargebacks on your account do not happen without damages. Frequent chargebacks may lead to your account shutting down, costing you money and your reputation. 

In this article, we will discuss a chargeback rebuttal, how to write a letter to the issuing bank, and everything else you need to know to fight an illegitimate cashback claim. 

What Is a Chargeback?

A chargeback is a process a customer initiates to dispute a purchase and request a refund. The two most common cases where a charge holder disputes a purchase and initiates a chargeback are cases where the item ordered was not delivered (delivery-related issues) or to report fraud.

What Is a Chargeback Rebuttal Letter

A chargeback rebuttal letter is a response from you-the merchant, disputing the chargeback and stating claims where the charge was valid and legitimate. 

The chargeback dispute letter is a process in the representment case, and it also serves as a cover letter for the documents you’re presenting to dispute the claims. 

For your chargeback dispute letter to be valid, it must include all the necessary information related to the charge. This evidence should include proof of delivery, authorized transactions, and interactions with the customer concerning their order, if any. 

How to Write a Claim Letter + Free Samples

Tips to Write a Successful Representment Letter

To increase the chances of success in your chargeback rebuttal, you must select your disputes in order of increasing success. If you don’t have a strong chance of winning a dispute, do not waste your time on it. Here are some tips to bear in mind before writing a chargeback response letter:

  • Include only relevant information: This goes without saying, but your chargeback rebuttal letter should not contain any information irrelevant to the case. 
  • Take note of deadlines: Representments are normally open for 20-45 days, in this period, you can send a chargeback rebuttal letter and contest a claim. If this deadline passes, you should drop the case and write it off as a loss. 
  • Do not contest if you’re unsure: If you don’t have enough verifiable evidence to back your claim, do not respond to a chargeback. 

Like all things in the professional world, representment cases have rules and guidelines that increase the odds of success. If you feel your case doesn’t go above and beyond in meeting the necessary requirements, the best course of action may be not to contend the chargeback. 

How to Write a Chargeback Rebuttal Letter

We’ve discussed how to write a representment letter and important tips to remember before writing one. Let’s look at the step-by-step guide on how to write successful rebuttal letters:

  1. Write in formal, clear, and concise language:

A representment letter is official, meaning it must follow all professional letter writing etiquette. Also, ensure your letter is written in short paragraphs without technical jargon that may confuse the recipient. 

You’re unsure who the recipient of the letter is, so it is imperative that your letter is written to be easily digestible by anyone, regardless of their technical expertise. 

  1. Write your introduction:

This is the letter’s introduction; you must ensure to mention the case with as few words as possible. When writing your introduction, substitute every passive sentence for an active one. 

In the introduction, also remember to include anything that relates to your business. This includes your business name, the reason code, the merchant id number, and the case number. All of this information helps the bank determine who you are and provides the necessary information to process the case. 

  1. State your case

In the next paragraph, discuss the details of the case in its entirety. This means discussing the transaction, the brief history of the cardholder in relation to their purchase and dispute, the service or products that were rendered and the chargeback reason code. 

When writing your letter, ensure none of the information listed above is exempt from your letter. 

  1. Provide your evidence

Briefly state that you’re writing to counter the cardholder’s claim and provide the necessary evidence. This is easily the most important part of your letter and determines whether your case will be valid. 

  1. State the outcome you want

This is more of a formality as the bank already knows what to do, which is a reversal, but for the sake of formality, it is important you include this in your letter.

How to Write Payment Received Emails: Samples Included

Chargeback Rebuttal Letter Sample

To whom it may concern, 

Joe and Joe is a bespoke clothing company. On our app, customers can browse a collection of productions, input their measurements and we make bespoke clothing for them. We’re writing this letter to contend a chargeback initiated by James Poe. 

On June 5, 2023, James purchased a hoodie from our store via the mobile app and his card was charged $70.00. Four weeks later, on July 5, 2023, James disputed the purchase and claimed the merchandise was not delivered. 

We are disputing this claim and would like to initiate a cashback rebuttal. 

Chargeback case number 098765432 was filed as merchandise not received; we have provided irrefutable evidence claiming otherwise. Here’s a list of the evidence:
The transaction has a positive AVS match code. 

The shipping and billing address are the same. 

DHL tracking confirms package was delivered two weeks after order was made. 
A photo of the order on the shipping address was taken by the delivery agent. 
Two days after confirmed delivery, our customer success agent reached out to James to confirm receipt and he did. Transcripts of call attached to this letter. 

This evidence listed above and attached to this letter makes the chargeback claim unsubstantiated and unlawful. We have tried all means to contact James to resolve any concerns but all attempts have proven futile. 

For the reasons, states above, we request the chargeback be disputed. 
Thank you for taking your time. 

Kind Regards, 

Head of customer satisfaction, Joe and Joe. 
Joeandjoe.com 0293 2942 234
123 Privett Lane, Houston, TX. 

Chargeback Rebuttal Letter Sample Two

To whom it may concern, 

Fourleaf clothing is a shoe company and we specialize in making quality leather shoes for men. We have a website where customers can place orders and can have their goods delivered to them anywhere in the world. 

We’re writing this letter to dispute a charge back made by Fredrick Dom. 
On August 5 2023, Mr. Fredrick completed a purchase on our website and his card was charged $400.00 for the product and shipping. Five day later on August 10, Mr. Fredrick initiated a chargeback claiming his car was stolen and the purchase was a fraudulent purchase. 

We are disputing this claim and have provided ample evidence to support our dispute:
Mr. Fredrick placed the shoe in cart on the August 1, 2023. Before that we noticed the Mr. Fredrick had use his account to view the shoe product page 5 times in the two weeks leading to the order. 

The account opening address is the same as the delivery address. 
After placing the order, our sales team called Mr. Fredrick to confirm his order and his response was affirmative. 

Upon shipping, Mr. Fredrick tracked the shoe multiple times from the same IP where the order was placed. 
We have included all of this information in this letter. 
From the evidence above we would like to dispute the chargeback claim and cancel and refund process. 

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need any further information. 

Kind Regards, 
Head of Customer Success, Fourleaf Inc. 
Fourleaf.com 234 568 909

Conclusion

When writing representment letters, you must ensure your chances of getting the charge canceled are higher than the chances of the opposite. The only way to do this is to ensure your evidence is airtight. 

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